Cultivator



. V. ROWE cULTIvAToR Aug. 3o, 1932.

Filedf Aug. 6, 1950 HL V//v VR@ WE, BY

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 g narran 'STATES PATENT 'OFFICE ALVIN V.` ROWE, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ROWE MANUFACTURING 4COIVIIEANY, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS CULTIVATOR Application led August 6, 1930. Serial No. 473,310.

c VMy invention relates generally to garden tools and particularly to manually operable 'cultivators S r It isone-of the primary objects of my present' invention to provide a garden tool or cultivator .which isprovided with improved 'structural characteristics and;v which is capable of .cultivating soil, infa more expeditious manner. i f f 'It isan objectv of=my invention to provide, combination With a rotarycultivator tool, an improved souffle knife construction Where- :bythe Vcultivator may be manipulated with greater'ease than cultivators ofi the conventional type;` f l More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide a souffle knifey as above set forth Which may be conveniently adjusted 'in accordance with the height at-Which the operatinghandle ofthe cultivator'is raised .Y by Vthe .operator When in use.

In addition to the improved adjustable s'cul'le knife structure, my invention contemplates the provision ofan improved arrangement fof shovels disposed .oppositely from 'thefscufile'knifa which are adapted .to dig into ;the; ground Whenthe .souffle knife oecupies its uppermost position. f

A, further object of myzinventionfis to ar- -rangetheabove mentioned scuile ,knives in spaced relation so as. to facilitate the loosening'of earth therefromduringthe operative association of said lknives With the soil. `1

i These and-numerous .other objects and advantages will lcemoreapparent from the following. detaileddescription when considered in .connection `with the ,accompanying'ilravvl Figure lisa side elevational view of a f ".cultivator which represents one embodiment AYio-i:l my invention., r 1 r.fC-Figure 2 is alfragmentaryreduced plan -vieiv'of t-hefdevice 'shown in'Figure "1, the :rotary hoe v pointsV being Ashown 'by I dot and --dashilinesg f' f I A.llligure 8 is: a' reducedisectional view `of the fcultivatonsaid viewY being takeny substantially alongy thetline 3-3 of Figure l,rv the rotary hoe points beingv designated `by dot and -dnshlinesg and lthe opposite extremity of each link is Figure 4 is a detailed fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line Zl-'efofFigure 1, disclosing the manner in Which the souffle knife is adjustably coupled with the yoke of the operating handle.

Referring now tothe drawing more in detail, wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it Will be noted that my invention contemplates the use of a reel designated generally by the numeral 10, which includes a plurality of hoe points 12 arranged in staggered relation, said hoe points beingv supported by suitable rotary side plates 14. The speciiic construction of this reel 10 does not form a part of the present invention except in so far as this reel enters into the general combination of the other elements associated therewith. This reel con- I struction is covered in my co-pending application, Serial Number 326,949, filed December 19, 1928. In vieu7 of this fact, I have shown the reel 'or hoe point structure by dot and dash lines in Figures 2 and 3 in order c more clearly to disclose those parts which comprise the present invention.

It Will be seen that the reel 10 is supported upon a central aXle or shaft 16, and this lshaft 16 extends on opposite sides of the reel sufficiently to receive opposite extremities of a U-shaped member or scuflie knife 18. Disposed on the outer sides of the souffle knife 18 are leaf spring members 20, Which yieldingly bear against the sides of the scuiiie knife. Opposi'tcly disposed yoke members 22 of an operating handle 24 are clamped against the springs 2O by means of a suitable nut 26,. as clearly shown in Figures 1 and2. Links 28, positioned on opposite sides of the reel 10, are pivotally connected at one extremity by means of suitable pins or rivets 30 at the outer side of the scuftle knife 18, and

provided With a longitudinal slot 32. This slot "32 cooperates with a'pin 33 Which extends through the yoke member 22 and said slot.

By means of this construction, the souffle knife may be adjustably pivoted around the axle or shaftl by irst loosening nuts 34:, which are .carried by the pins 3.3. In operating cultif' v ltheshcnfels which'are'positioned intermediate vators of the type shown in the drawing, it is.,-

' very important that the cutting edge 18a of the scuie knife lO` be properly positioned with respect-to the hoe points l2. Thus with one setting of the sculiie knife, it may operate satisfactory infsoil which isof a-given-hardness, but :when-the cultivator is .used on soil of a different hardness, the same setting ofy i ceedingly difficult. Therefore it is yvery desirable to provide means wherebythe lscuiile knife may be adjustedto the position which will enable thecultivatorto be operated most feicien'tly. v

Another advantage resulting from I'thegprovision yof thel adjustable scuflle knife will l:be apparent when fit ris :understood that 'the height ofthe :person operatingithe'cultivator -obviously controlsthe position ofthescuille knife `with vrespect to'thegsurface of the soil. Forinstance,with'a given settingof the souffle knife, a tall person :might vpush the ycultivator'with greater easexthana shorterperson, for thel reason that when a tallpersonlis pushing, the handle israiSedsuiCientlyto'bring fthe s cuiile knifetin proper cutting relation with'respectitothesurface ofthe soil. )How- Iever,jwith a shorter person, the handle might fbe lowered to such an vextent asltoV caustthe 'souffle knifetoimake an' exceptionally de'ep'cut -into the soil. Withfmy. improved adjustable -scufliejknizfe feature, said v'knife maybe con- -venientlyadjusted to theiheight ofthe person 'by merely loosening thenuts 34iand shifting the `knife rtothe desired position. Furthermore, if it isA desired Ato use the cultivatorffor blind cultivation, :that gis, cultivation `with the use of only Vtheshoe 'points 12, the souffle knife 'may .be shifted to 1an eXtreme kupward position by .reasonfof'theslots 32,'so astofpo- :sitionsaid'knife out offen'gagement withithe surface of the fground. ln-otlien-words, `for blind cultivation it isr not necessaryto com-vv pletely-fremove the vsouffle knifev as *has been necessary in using rconventionaltypes of kculftivators.

VAttentionis :also directed :to shovels 36,

V"which 'are mounted inspaced 'relation at j their r-eareXt-remitiesruponza vframe 88. This frame includes a U-shapedsection140 which iexten'dslon opposite sides ofthejyoke members '22rand is ipiv'otallymounted uponthe pins-33. The outer'centralportionoffthe framesecti'on V'40'isiloentinwa'rdly toprovide'amounting for the central shovel, andthe adjacent outer lportions'of v'this frame section 40serve 5to :support the 4twoouterm'ost shove-ls. A-second -lflfs'haped lframe. section .42, Figure 3, vis carfriedi by the section .40 and serves jftofsuppor't -the central and loutermost shovels as jviewed P4155 --in' Figure 35 'It will be'noted thatthese's'hovels not only are arranged in staggered relation when viewed transversely of the cultivator reel, but are also arranged in spaced relation for adjustably positioning the frame 38 about A the pin 33. VThis means includes a strap or barl44 whichis -secured'ina fixed position at :one'extremityupon the handlej24,-`the opposite or free extremity of the strap being adjustably secured to the frame section 40 by means-of asuitableclamping screw 46. This strap 44 is provided with a series of apertures 48 {fori-receiving-theclamping-screw 46, -fa'nd inl this 'manner fthe shovels may be adjusted to any desired position. .,:By merely changing the position ofthe clampingfscrew 46 with .respect to lth'elstrap 44,1 am able'to ,-f position 1the shovels .in :accordance with .the

height of the'operator,:andalso=in accordance with thel degree-ofl cut which'is=to vbe, made 2in the ground by said knives.

From 'the foregoing lgit that `myv invention provides av very conveniently operable and economically constructed -will` -be apparent cultivator. Themannerrin which'the scuiile knife and" shovels are mounted, enables said elements to be conveniently adjusted in vac- .lsf

cordance with the type of work Awhichli's to fbe=.done,andalso inaccordance with *the-ele-` l i Y 'vation fof ithe 5cultivator `loperating v'-ha'ndle. Allfof the constituent parts-mayrbemade by the :practice` of conventional lmachine shop methods, and thereforefthe'devi'ceis-rendered iframe section 142, vwhich yis of U-'shaped conr struction, is detachably mounted upon lits companion support or frame lsection v40 by meansfofsuitable bolts 5,50.` These. bolts 50 servethe dual.'function'of "securing the"l outervmost shovels aswell as the supporting frame i section'42 -iinposition vuponthe section 40.y By .this 'construction thelshovels vcarried by the support or frame 42 may be removed if necessary. lnsome instances it 'maybe desirable'tofuse onlS the shovel'scarried 'by theZKLA supporting frame section 40, while in other instances' it may be'desirabletouse alloffthe fshjovels. should alsoibenotedthatthe central shovelisfdisp'laced laterally with vrespect to the outermost shovels, and the shovels car- Iried k,by the `U-shaped 'frame section :42 are f also displaced laterally "withrespect' to the outermost vshovels so -as *to present "suflicien't .space between '.the`shovels.Y

. Obviously changes in the specifici described construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and said invention Should be limited only by the scope of the appended i i claims. i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Y Patent is:

1. In a garden tool of the class described, lo' a reel including a plurality of soil engaging blades, a support extending laterally of said reel, a shovel carried by said support, a second support detachably mounted on the first mentioned support, and a shovel mounted w' on said second support.

. 2. In a garden tool of the class described, a reel including a plurality of soil engaging blades, a support extending laterally of said reel, a plurality of spaced soil engaging gg' shovels mounted on said support, a second support detachably mounted with respect to the first support, and a plurality of spaced shovels carried by said second support.

3. In a garden tool of the class described, z5 a reel including a plurality of soil engaging blades, a support extending laterally of said reel, a plurality of soil engaging shovels carried by said support, a second U-shaped support mounted on the iirst mentioned support, and a soil engaging shovel carried by said second support. Y

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALVIN V. ROWE. 

